No one wanted a pandemic to overlap with Easter celebrations. It is upsetting to not be able to have a celebration that is so special to so many Christians in the same way as it normally would be held. However, no one wanted it to overlap with Holi, Purim, Passover, or the beginning of Ramadan, either. Christians are not unique in their struggle to figure out how to have religious holiday celebrations while social distancing. Christians, however, do seem to be unique in their refusal to social distance during their services.
While many churches have experimented with live streaming or moving their services online in other ways, plenty of churches have continued to hold their services with many people attending. One of the biggest names in the “War on Easter,” as it’s being referred to, is Reverend Tony Spell of Apostolistic Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Spell has been charged with six misdemeanors for violating the Louisiana governor’s order banning large gatherings and continued to hold an Easter service where he expected 2,000 to attend.
Churches across North Carolina have continued to hold “drive-in” style church services where attendees sit in their cars and listen to the pastor like a drive-in movie. Governor Roy Cooper specifically said that these types of services would be permitted as well as naming travel to and from religious services as essential as long as the congregation does not include more than ten people. However, these drive-in services do not help if the attendees continue to give offerings, interact with other attendees or receive Easter baskets, as some churches have chosen to do. The virus can still spread through these actions even if they are good natured.
Several Republican lawmakers have argued that “banning” religious services is a violation of First Amendment rights. What they fail to see is that no state has banned religious services outright. Most states have only banned in-person religious services and therefore churches are receiving the same treatment as other places of business. Arguing that churches are being unfairly targeted under this pandemic is absolutely ludicrous.
If churchgoers want to argue that the Bible says that they should go to church, then they also must understand that Romans 13:1 says to obey the laws of the government because God put them in place with the knowledge to govern. Evangelicals, who overwhelmingly support President Trump’s actions as president, should listen to the government that they elected and end any form of in-person religious services.
Pastors of in-person religious services are not only endangering the lives of their congregation, but also the lives of any person who their congregation comes in contact with. Furthermore, pastors need to recognize that, according to Acts 17:24, “The God who made the world and everything in it … does not live in temples made by man.” According to their own religious text, Christians do not need to attend a physical building or be with a group of people in order to worship. Christians may believe that they are safe as God will protect them, but God also gave people the common sense to know not to endanger hundreds of lives in their worship.
